Damon Arnette Jr. cratered his first opportunity in the NFL. Drafted in Round 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders, he entered the league with the potential to develop into a starting player defensive back for a storied franchise.
Instead, Arnette, who came out of Ohio State with some character concerns, continued that pattern of behavior. Multiple serious legal issues prevented him from having anything more than short stints with several teams.
Those mistakes essentially banished him from the NFL and had the UFL telling him no when attempted to join the league a year ago. But as Arnette revealed to Aaron Wilson of KPRC in Houston, he has dedicated himself to changing his ways.
“I had to make some serious life changes. And the main thing that I did was I invited back my support system, my foundation, and that’s probably something I will never let go of again because I see how dangerous it is to be trying to navigate in a new world, new environment, new situations with no experience."
Arnette's second-chance hopes are not only driven by a makeover of himself. Now getting an opportunity with the Houston Roughnecks in the UFL, Arnette is showing that he can make an impact on the field.
He returned his first interception of the season 51 yards for a touchdown this past weekend. In all phases, Arnette is trying to show he is a different man than the one that entered the league.
“What I would say is what they see on film, that’s me being out of commission for three years. I’m a dawg on the field. I’m more of a professional now than I ever was before.
"I wasn’t a professional before. I was just a dawg. I found professionalism and a calm state of mind. I feel like I’m the best version of myself that I’ve ever been."
Arnett signed a reserve/futures contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in January of 2022 but was released at the end of that month after he was arrested on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, and two counts of possession of controlled substances. ...
And that led to his minor-league re-boot.
The UFL season ends in a couple weeks and players will be free to sign with NFL teams ahead of training camp. That does not guarantee much for Arnette, but his life turnaround has given him a better chance than he could have dreamed of a few years ago.